[Translation prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

Workers of the gold mining joint venture "Aprelevka": we have not received wages since November, 16 February 2019

On the morning of February 15, employees of this enterprise contacted Radio Ozodi and reported that they had not received wages since November last year.

One of the workers, who did not want to give his name, said “the management of the enterprise promises to pay wages every day, but we don’t see any money. Most workers have already become bank debtors, as they were forced to take out consumer loans to purchase essential goods.”

The interlocutor said that he and his work colleagues had already repeatedly met with the administration of the enterprise and demanded that they be given the money they had earned or explain the reasons for the delay in payment of wages. However, all their demands were answered only by threats that there were many of them and they could be kicked out of work.

“As soon as we start demanding wages, we are told, ‘If you don’t like it, get out of here,’” says our interlocutor. Three of his other partners confirmed the words of their colleague and also complained about the delay in payment of wages.

According to Aprelevka employees, security guards and technical staff of the enterprise receive 400-500 somoni per month, and truck drivers receive up to 1,500 somoni.

The head of the general department of the Aprelevka joint venture, who introduced herself as Shakhlo, in a conversation with Radio Ozodi on February 15, said that “the delay in the payment of wages arose due to certain problems between the enterprise and the Ministry of Finance. However, all this can be resolved, and we have now started issuing wages to workers for November last year.”

Shakhlo did not explain to us what the problems with the Ministry of Finance are, but she emphasized that within two or three weeks the management of the enterprise will try to issue wages to employees for December last year...